Separators for unitized loads

ABSTRACT

A stacked shipping configuration useful for stacked upper and lower unitized loads of soft or flexible articles such as bales of natural rubber includes an upper unitized load stacked on top of a lower unitized load. An upper separator is associated with the upper unitized load and a lower separator associated with the lower unitized load. Each separator has a first leg and a second leg with the first legs of the separators disposed against each other between the unitized loads. The separators protect the unitized loads from damage when a lifting device is inserted between the loads to lift the upper load from the lower load.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/833,635 filed Jul. 26, 2006; the disclosures ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to shipping configurationswherein a unitized load is stacked on top of another unitized load. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to separators that are used to allowa lifting device to be inserted between stacked loads. Specifically, theinvention relates to the structure of separators and the use ofseparators with unitized loads—especially unitized loads of soft orflexible materials such as bales of natural rubber.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

A unitized load is a single large article or a plurality of articlesgrouped together for shipping. The articles may be individual items suchas material bales. The article also may be containers filled with theirown goods. Although the articles are usually the same, the articles maybe a mixture of different things. The articles may be grouped orderly orrandomly. The articles may be grouped on a wooden pallet, a non-woodenpallet, a slip sheet, a slip tray, or another shipping aid. Examples ofthese are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,613,447, 5,881,651, and6,490,982. Each unitized load may be stretch wrapped after it is formed.Unitized loads may be stacked one on top of the other when they areloaded into a container for shipping. When the shipper intends to stackthe unitized loads, the shipper does not want to place the upper load ona thick pallet in order to save the air space that would have beenoccupied by the pallet. The shipper may use a thin slip sheet or a sliptray. Such unitized loads are placed directly on top of the other load.One problem with this stacking configuration is the problem of removingthe top load from the bottom load after the top load settles into thetop of the bottom load during transport. The loads are typically removedfrom the container with a power lift vehicle such as a fork lift.Inserting the forks between the upper and lower unitized loads candamage the stretch wrapping, the article packaging, or the articlesthemselves. When the articles are soft or flexible in nature, theprocess of inserting the forks between the unitized loads is moredifficult and damage to at least the stretch wrap or protectivepackaging frequently occurs.

An example relevant to the invention is a unitized load of naturalrubber bales. Each natural rubber bale is wrapped with a protectivepackaging layer and the entire unitized load of natural rubber bales isstretch wrapped for shipping. When one load is stacked on top ofanother, the natural properties of the rubber bales cause the loads tointerlock together and bow outwardly. Inserting forks between theseinterlocked loads is not easy without damaging some portion of the load.Shippers thus desire a device and packaging configuration that solvesthe problem of inserting the forks between stacked upper and lowerunitized loads, especially when the articles are soft or flexible.

Commercial rubber users prefer the rubber to be in bales of a convenientsize, which is from about seventy to about eighty pounds, although thesize of the bales varies greatly, depending on the producer andconsumer. Such a size can be achieved using a bale having in the rangeof about 1.5 to 1.8 cubic feet of volume. The process of forming such arectangular solid bale from the rubber is well known and will be wellwithin the knowledge of one of skill in the rubber industry. Onceformed, the bales are usually packaged in a plastic bag, although it isalso known in the industry to package the bales in a shrink-wrap orstretch-wrap polymer, such as a polyethylene film. If for no otherreason, this individual bale packaging minimizes the fusing of rubber inadjacent bales. Although these packaging techniques maintain theindependence of the bales, the weight of the bales and the shipping timecauses them to settle with the some bales to bulge outwardly. Thebulging bales make the process of inserting forks of a forkliftdifficult.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally provides separators and a packagingconfiguration wherein at least one separator is used to protect aunitized load when a fork is inserted between stacked upper and lowerunitized loads. The invention also provides a configuration wherein atleast two separators are used with stacked unitized loads. Theseparators include legs positioned against each other and between theunitized loads. The fork of the lifting device is inserted between theseparator legs. The separators also indicate the proper location for theinsertion of the fork so the load will be balanced once lifted.

One configuration of the separators includes a body having a first legand a second leg. The first and second legs define a generally L-shapedstructure adapted to be fit over the corner of a unitized load. Theseparators are aligned so that the fork may be slid between theseparators when the fork is being guided between the loads. The legsbetween the loads may be longer than the outer legs.

In another configuration, the legs of the separator are disposed ninetydegrees from one another, the longer leg is three times longer than theshort leg, and the width of the short leg is the same as its length. Thebody of the separator is fabricated from a recyclable plastic having athickness in the range of 0.040 inches to 0.060 inches. The longer legsare placed between the unitized loads against each other with the shortlegs extending away from each other.

The invention also provides a separator body that is formed flat andthen bent into an L configuration for use. The L configuration may be asomewhat rounded L without a sharp angular break between the legs. Inone configuration, a fold line is defined between the legs that allowsthe user to fold the legs into an L shape for use with the loads. Thebody may be formed end-to-end with another separator body. A line ofseparation is provided between the separator bodies.

In another configuration, the separators may define banding openingsthat allow for different banding configurations. Each leg may define asingle banding opening, a pair of banding openings, or four bandingopenings. Packaging bands may be threaded through these openings tosecure the separators to the unitized loads and to stabilize the loads.The separators may be used in combination with a slip sheet or slip trayto provide banding anchors.

The invention also provides a method for packaging bales of naturalrubber for shipment. The method includes the steps of forming first andsecond unitized loads of natural rubber bales, stretch wrapping each ofthe loads, positioning separators at the top of the lower load and atthe bottom of the upper load, and placing the upper load on top of thelower load with the separators aligned. The method may include theoptional steps of securing the separators with the stretch wrap orbanding the loads with packaging bands that engage the separators. Theloads may be formed on a slip tray or a slip sheet.

The configurations may be implemented individually or combined togetherto define additional configurations of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing stacked upper and lower unitizedloads using four separators of the invention.

FIG. 1B is a section view showing the tip of a fork engaging a pair ofback-to-back separators.

FIG. 2A is a top plan view of two separators before they are brokenapart and bent to fit around the corner of the loads.

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of an alternative configuration of twoseparators before they are broken apart and bent around the corner ofthe loads.

FIG. 3A is a side view of the separators from FIG. 2A after theseparators are bent.

FIG. 3B is a side view of the separators from FIG. 2B after theseparators are bent.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the stacked loads with separatorsshowing alternative banding configurations.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lower unitized load with a single wideseparator banded to its upper front corner.

The drawings are not to scale. Similar numbers refer to similar featuresthroughout the specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY CONFIGURATION

FIG. 1 depicts lower 2 and upper 4 unitized loads. Each unitized load 2and 4 includes a plurality of stacked goods 5 that may be bales ofnatural rubber as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,447. For example, apallet can effectively transport between 30 and 42 of the small baleswhich weight about 77 pounds each. The rubber bales are, however, verysensitive to the pressure resulting from stacking. Therefore, both theheight of the individual pallet and the ability to stack the pallets oneupon the other are both negatively influenced by the tendency of therubber to fuse and flow from the pressure. Those who ship loads 2 and 4desire to stack one on top of the other as shown in FIG. 1. When stackedin this manner, upper load 4 is placed directly on top of the lower load2. In this example, lower load 2 is carried by a slip tray 7 and upperload 2 is arranged on a slip sheet 13 shown in FIG. 1B. In otherconfigurations, two slip trays 7 or two slip slips 13 may be used. Adrawback with such stacking is experienced when trying to separate upperload 4 from lower load 2. The relatively thick forks 11 of the liftvehicle are not easily inserted between loads 2 and 4—especially afterloads 2 and 4 have settled during a long journey.

Separators 6 are used to help guide the forks 11 of a lift vehiclebetween loads 2 and 4 while protecting goods 5. Separators 6 help forksslip between loads 2 and 4 while preventing or minimizing damage to thestretch wrapping 9 or the individual goods 5. Separators 6 are thuspositioned with respect to loads 2 and 4 at locations to receivestandard forks of a forklift or other lift vehicle. For example,separators 6 may be spaced 24 inches center-to-center when they arepositioned on loads 2 and 4.

The body of each separator 6 may be fabricated from any of the slipsheet materials described in the patents cited above. The body may bemade from a wide variety of materials including, but not limited to,plastics and metals. In the exemplary embodiment, separator 6 is formedfrom a recyclable polymer material such as polyethylene or high densitypolyethylene. The body may have a thickness from 0.010 inches to 0.100inches with 0.040 inches to 0.060 inches being useful for manyconfigurations. A thicker body will add rigidity and support to thebottom of loads 2 and 4 while a thinner body will flex with goods 5while still providing the benefits of the invention described herein. Athin aluminum body may be used as an alternative.

In the examples of the invention depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the bodyof each separator has a length 20 twice as long as its width 22. Inthese examples, each body has a length 20 of twenty inches with a width22 of ten inches. FIGS. 2A and 2B depict a pair of separators 6 formedend-to-end and connected by a line of separation 24 such as a score lineor a perforated line (that allow the two bodies to be torn apart) or amarking line that indicates to the user where the two bodies may be cutapart. Separators 6 may be formed end-to-end in succession (such as byextrusion) and cut or torn apart as needed. Separators 6 may also beformed and sold individually. Each body may include an optional foldline 26 which may be in the form of a score line, a marking line, or aperforation. Fold line 26 may be used to fold the bodies intoapproximate “L” shapes for use with loads 2 and 4. The examples shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B are bent to 90 degree angles but the “L” configurationmay define an angle less than 90 degrees and still provide the benefits.For example, an L having an angle of as low as 45 degrees will functionin some situations. Further, the corner of the “L” may be rounded. Foldline 26 may be centered as shown in FIG. 2A to form equal legs or offsetas shown in FIG. 2B in order to form a longer leg as shown in FIG. 3B.In this example, the longer leg is at least twice as long as the shorterlog and may be three times longer than the shorter leg (five inch andfifteen inch). In this example, the longer leg is positioned betweenloads 2 and 4.

Optional banding holes 10 may be defined by the bodies of separators. Inthe examples, banding holes 10 are one inch diameter holes that willreceive standard banding straps used in the packaging industry. Holes 10may be centered as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B and spaced two inches fromthe ends.

When in use, each separator 6 is bent into an L configuration to fitaround at least the front corners of loads 2 or 4. The front of the loadis the side of the load where the forks 11 of a lift vehicle areinserted. Packaging bands 8 may be threaded through separators 6 tosecure them to the load. Alternative banding configurations are shown inFIG. 1 wherein bands 8 may be vertical only, horizontal only, or acombination of both. Bands 8 may be singles (FIG. 1) or doubles (FIG.4). If desired, additional separators 6 may be positioned about loads 2or 4 to assist the banding. When banding is not used, separators 6 maybe held in place by stretch wrap 9. Wrap 9 may be wrapped over the endof the leg of separator 6 that remains outside loads 2 and 4. Bothbanding and stretch wrap may be used to hold separators 6 in place.

FIG. 4 depicts an alternative configuration for separators 6 whereinpairs of banding holes 10 are defined the body of separator 6. Each legof separator 6 may define a single pair or a double pair of bandingholes 10. The double pairs are useful for double horizontal banding ofthe lower portion of a load 2 or 4 as shown at the bottom right handside of load 2 in FIG. 4. The double banding may be around the sidewallof slip tray 7. These separators may have longer legs than the ten inchlegs depicted in FIG. 2A. A leg length of up to twenty inches may bedesirable when separators 6 are used primarily for banding.

Another alternative configuration of separator 6 is depicted in FIG. 5wherein the body of separator 6 is configured to extend across most ofthe width of load 2. Holes 10 may be provide for optional banding.

In any of the configurations described above, upper load 4 may be packedon a slip tray 7 which may eliminate the need for separators 6 on thebottom front corner of upper load 4. In this configuration, separatorsare used on the upper corner of lower load 2 to work in cooperation withthe bottom of slip tray 7 to protect goods 5 and wrapping 9.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity,clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to beimplied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because suchterms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadlyconstrued.

Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention is anexample and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown ordescribed.

1. A stacked shipping configuration of two unitized loads; theconfiguration comprising: upper and lower unitized loads; the upperunitized load being stacked on top of the lower unitized load; an upperseparator associated with the upper unitized load and a lower separatorassociated with the lower unitized load; and each separator having afirst leg and a second leg; the first legs of the separators disposedagainst each other between the unitized loads; the second legs extendingaway from each other.
 2. The configuration of claim 1, wherein theunitized loads are unitized bales of natural rubber.
 3. Theconfiguration of claim 1, wherein the legs of the separators are equallength.
 4. The configuration of claim 3, wherein the legs are ten incheslong.
 5. The configuration of claim 4, wherein the legs are ten incheswide.
 6. The configuration of claim 1, wherein the first leg of eachseparator is longer than the second leg of each separator.
 7. Theconfiguration of claim 6, wherein the first leg is at least twice aslong as the second leg.
 8. The configuration of claim 7, wherein thefirst leg is fifteen inches long and the second leg is five inches long.9. The configuration of claim 8, wherein the first leg is ten incheswide.
 10. The configuration of claim 1, wherein the separators arebanded to the unitized loads.
 11. The configuration of claim 1, whereineach unitized load is stretch wrapped.
 12. The configuration of claim11, wherein the second legs are disposed under the stretch wrap.
 13. Theconfiguration of claim 1, wherein the separators define banding holesand wherein a packaging band is wrapped around one of the loads andthrough a separator banding hole.
 14. The configuration of claim 13,wherein each leg defines a single banding hole.
 15. The configuration ofclaim 13, wherein at least one leg of at least one separator defines apair of banding holes.
 16. The configuration of claim 15, wherein atleast one leg of at least one separator defines four banding holes. 17.A stacked shipping configuration of two unitized loads of natural rubberbales; the configuration comprising: upper and lower unitized loads ofnatural rubber bales; each unitized load being stretch wrapped with atleast one layer of stretch wrap; the lower unitized load including oneof a slip sheet and a slip tray; the upper unitized load including oneof a slip sheet and a slip tray; the upper unitized load being stackedon top of the lower unitized load; first and second separatorsassociated with the upper unitized load and third and fourth separatorsassociated with the lower unitized load; each separator having a firstleg and a second leg; the first legs of the first and third separatorsdisposed against each other between the unitized loads; the first legsof the second and fourth separators disposed against each other betweenthe unitized loads; and the second leg of each separator being securedto one of the unitized loads by at least one of a packaging band and thelayer of stretch wrap.
 18. A separator for use with a unitized load ofnatural rubber bales; the separator comprising: a body having a firstleg and a second leg; the first and second legs defined an Lconfiguration adapted to engage a front corner of the unitized load ofnatural rubber bales; and the legs having a length, a width, and athickness; the thickness of the legs being less than five percent of thewidth of the legs.
 19. The separator of claim 18, wherein the body isfabricated from a recyclable polymer material.
 20. The separator ofclaim 19, wherein at least one of the legs defines a banding hole.